Food for thought

Often when cooking in the kitchen I find myself returning to the other kitchen or to my home to try things a second time.  In other cases there are things I’ve wanted to do for months but it took some time for those tomatoes to grow and ripen in the garden before I could make homemade ketchup.  Although experimenting can be fun and exciting many times in the heat of exploration I end up with product that has no deliberate use.  Equally troubling sometimes  the yield is also so low that there isn’t really anything one can make from 4 oz. of fromage blanc to put on a menu for one nights service.

So what does one do with freshly made fromage blanc in such a small portion.  Flavor is exciting, thinking of the many permutations that could be this dish this one night stand can be confusing.  Savory or Sweet?  Honeydew? Tomato?  Crepes?  There always comes a list eventually:

honeydew, essence of rosemary, lemon, ginger garnished with mint or lemon thyme or lemon verbena

The idea is swell but execution is still key and how does one incorporate these ingredients, what techniques do we utilize.  I could make a soup out of the honeydew flavor it with ginger blend the fromage with the lemon thyme or I could make Ginger honeydew parfait with a rosemary caramel, lemony fromage, and mint.  To help end the confusion there is always the other list, the list of preparations, procedures and techniques.  I stole mine fair and square from Michael Laiskonis and its awesome.  If I find myself in a rut I do like to explore the internet see what other people are doing in an attempt to stay fresh, but when I have an idea and I don’t know what to do with it I head to the list.  Of course some of these processes are out of my realm due to a lack of equipment, but it doesn’t mean I can’t explore with the thought, take notes and make an attempt to execute the dish how I see it best in my head.

Stepping into the unknown is something that I have grown rather familiar with these days working two kitchens one Italian and one French.  There are many obstacles to overcome having never been properly schooled in the culinary arts.  In my experience taking time to make discoveries can be as important as asking questions, digging through books and taking notes.  Although explanations and words often escape me while attempting to keep up with mise en place and the tempo of service.   The test kitchen of home and and the hard days put in for the easier ones where I can explore ideas are most necessary in my education, and it never hurts to pick up a book now and then.   We are life-long learners as some people say “you learn something new everyday” and I look forward to tomorrow.

Scallops seared, braised fennel, fennel frond, anisette and orange juice reduction from Piatto wine dinner 8.22.9

Recently I took some time to create several infuse vodkas.  Each turned out rather well or at least interesting with room to improve and one yet done and tasted.  Its fun to play with flavor pairings especially when considering how the drink will come together whence the infusion is completed.  We tried sage-raspberry which went well with pomegranate juice or soda, Izze makes a soda that I’m fond of and it worked out pretty well.

Raspberries

Second was an orangecello which after adding 8oz of simple syrup went down a little too easily.  Following that we put together raw cocoa nibs with mint which created a rich dark chocolate aroma and bitter flavor with a metholated after taste.  Mixed with cream, half and half, or soy milk over ice with a sprig of lemon thyme it worked out pretty nicely.  The last most recent bottle was infused with horseradish and peppercorns which I gained the inspiration from Absolut Peppar, an article I read about the Greehouse Tavern’s raw oyster and horseradish dish, and my dad.  Thinking we can make some awesome bloody mary’s I’m waiting to see what this one tastes like in a couple of days when I think it will have reached its peak.

Horse radish peppercorn vodka

Today at work we received Tuna, Striped Bass, and mussels which meant we needed to come up with new specials for the daily menu.  About twice a week we receive fresh fish which we use to create new specials every other day if not daily.  This leads to a lot of experimentation and sometimes frustration with about two hours given daily to create these specials while managing other tasks so that one is ready for service off of the regular dinner menu.   The from my station today was grilled striped bass, grilled Belgium endive, scallion aioli, citrus  oil, basil, scallion, parsley

I’m afraid the grilled flavors may have been a bit overdone but the endive worked well with the aioli and the citrus oil.  As for the mussels I took fennel bulbs, onions, and red peppers sweated them until they began to brown added white wine, bay leaves, whole coriander, and cracked black pepper reduce to half then added water.  Ed our saute cleaned the mussels and cooked them in the broth just until they opened.

As for the Tuna not until tomorrow Ed ran out halibut, olive tapenade, garlicky sauteed spinach.

Halibut

Here I come taking (or borrowing) ideas mashing them up and making something tasty.   This is a combination of recipes found on Michael Laikonis’ blog and in Johnny Iuzzini’s book Dessert Fourplay.  It ran for several days at the Piatto and did alright.  I think the reading “Matcha Cake, lemon lime parfait, basil fluid gel” scares some folks in the midwest, but the basil and the citrus compimented each other well.  I also enjoyed the texture of the cake and the parfait which reminded me or flinstone’s puch pops.